The in-demand Nashville producer has worked with Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, and more
Zayn Malik is gearing up to release his long-awaited fourth studio album, and he’s co-produced the upcoming LP with Grammy-winner Dave Cobb, Rolling Stone can exclusively confirm.

In working with Cobb — one of Nashville’s most accomplished and in-demand producers — Malik will explore new sonic territory and lean into pairing his unmistakable vocals with live instrumentation. The soulful singer-songwriter had spent several years writing the album at his home in rural Pennsylvania before enlisting Cobb’s help as a co-producer. There’s no release date or title yet, but the album will be Malik’s first on new label, Mercury Records.

“What got me about Zayn was his voice, you can hear love, loss, pain, triumph and humanity in it. I feel as if this record is removing the glass from his spirit directly to his fans,” Cobb says. “Zayn has really created his own universe on this record, he really has no fear and is speaking straight from his soul.”

In an interview on Call Her Daddy last year, Malik teased the upcoming album a bit, saying, “I’m doing a record I don’t think people are really gonna expect. It’s a different sound for me. And it’s got some more narrative going on, like real-life experiences and stuff. My daughter’s mentioned in there a couple of times.”

Malik’s last album, Nobody Is Listening, was released in 2021. Since then, he’s shared a couple of scattered singles, including “To Begin Again” with Ingrid Michaelson, a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Angel,” and last year’s “Love Like This.” Back in January, Malik collaborated with the up-and-coming Pakistani group Aur on a reimagining of their hit single, “Tu Hai Kahan.”

As for Cobb, his credits include hit albums and critically acclaimed projects with Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Lady Gaga, Jason Isbell, Lori McKenna, and Sturgill Simpson. More recently, he’s teamed up with some classic rockers like Slash and Sammy Hagar, as well as Barry Gibb, Greta Van Fleet, Gavin DeGraw, and William Prince.